WORLDWIDE EPC SOLUTIONS FOR OIL & GAS SINCE 1962

History

62 years of successes, from Busseto to around the globe

Historical milestones

From 1962 to date
  • 1962

    The start of a great history

    In 1962, Italy was in the midst of the economic boom and in the wake of the great reconstruction which began immediately after the war, and the whole country was a building site. The Oil&Gas sector was developing rapidly under the aegis of AGIP but no private company had yet decided to create a business able to respond to the needs of this sector. With an accounting diploma and a number of collaborations with different companies, while working on a natural gas pipeline near Turin Gian Pietro Riccardi had the intuition of what would soon be christened SICIM.

    Together with his wife Carla and brother Luigi, with whom he would share objectives and successes, he built a new, effective, punctual, competitive reality devoted entirely to pipeline laying. Aiming to become a leading figure in Europe yet even more so in Italy, of a chapter which privately was still to be written, the Riccardi family laid the foundations for making its mark with a spirit of entrepreneurship, determination and efficiency, focusing on the success of its workers and their ideals and principles.

  • 1964

    The great construction sites in Italy in the Sixties and Seventies

    The SICIM adventure began in the homeland of Giuseppe Verdi: together with their first ten employees, they focused on the implementation of civil works indispensable for pipeline laying. A year after its establishment, the company already had some works contracted by SNAM, Società Nazionale Metanodotti, founded in 1941 by AGIP for the construction and operation of natural gas pipelines and the distribution and sale of gas. The journey from the very first contract to SICIM making its name as a privileged partner of SNAM was a short one.

    From the late Sixties, the company saw exponential development in terms of number of construction sites, length and difficulty of the sections and the size of the pipes.

  • 1978

    The consecration of the 1970s

    Having made its name across Italy, and becoming one of the first European companies to boast specialisation in the delicate and complex process of welding, in the Seventies SICIM earned full consecration thanks to the many contracts awarded all down the country.

    Important years which allowed SICIM to increase its know-how and achieve the highest quality standards on the market. Starting from trestles and hoists through off-road vehicles and excavators, to the most modern technologies available today.

  • 1980

    The Algerino: SICIM’s first 48”

    Affectionately nicknamed the Algerino, the first, unforgotten 48” was the pipeline for importing natural gas, which reached Italy in Sicily and continued as far as Bologna. The 48” diameter was a “revolution” in a country which, despite its very developed network, due to the nature of the territory and its needs, had until then known a maximum of 36” diameter pipes. But, above all, this required a leap in both technical and operational quality, which SICIM took without hesitation, demonstrating once more its resourceful and determined character.

  • 1982

    Construction sites overseas

    Thanks to the important role it started to hold, SICIM was contracted to implement its first works beyond the national borders. In 1982 in Algeria, where it was called to tackle the complex construction of 60 km of plants leading to the start of six oil pipelines.

    In 1985 the challenging project in Colombia, contracted by Mannesman taking Riccardi and his teams to tackle one of the most complex projects underway at that time. 86 km of route, crossing the Andes. Along with the workers and the ideas, the machines too arrived in South America directly from Italy. Under the management of Riccardi, working non-stop along with the local population and using helicopters to align the pipes to cope with the rugged mountains, SICIM completed the task, demonstrating its competence even thousands of miles from Italy.

  • 1982

    Branch opened in

    Algeria

    Bandiera Algeria
  • 1984
    Bandiera Colombia

    Branch opened in

    Colombia

  • 1987

    Valtellina Emergency

    Between 18 and 19 July 1987, after days of rain, the River Adda broke its banks causing hundreds of landslides. Ten days later, on 28 July, forty million cubic metres of rocks fell down Mount Zandila, wiping the towns of Sant’Antonio Morignone and Aquilone off the map and killing many people. The debris from the huge landslide, 50 metres high, blocked the River Adda creating a lake that threatened the city of Sondrio and many other towns nestling in the valley below. As it continued to rain, the water in the lake that had formed rose at a speed of 2 cm an hour. They have just 60 days to avert another tragedy. SICIM and Snamprogetti worked non-stop to prepare the emergency pipelines to drain off the water from the lake. To overcome 250 metres of muddy uphill terrain risking yet more landslides, army helicopters were mobilised to align the pipes, and after 10 days following the start of the works, the pumps were set in motion. The rain continued and the countdown to manage the emergency sped on.

    After five weeks, on 20 September, the hazard was averted. A dramatic episode which however underscores the responsiveness, the lucidity and the organisational skill of SICIM, and the courage of its own people.

  • 1993

    Branch opened in

    Switzerland

    Bandiera Svizzera
  • 1996
    Bandiera Spagna

    Branch opened in

    Spain

  • 1997

    Switzerland and the new environmental policies

    Switzerland was the first place where SICIM came into contact with a culture of respect for the territory and the environment it had not seen before. This culture was soon to become an attitude shared across the world, translating into regulatory practice.

    The work in this territory is planned side by side with flora and fauna experts. This is the time during which an even stricter internal policy of environmental protection was developed, from fume emissions to avant-garde waste disposal.

  • 1998

    The Gries challenge

    5 years’ work, 700 people employed, over 50 km of pipelines replaced, passing from a diameter of 34” to the current 48”, in the Oberstein and Grimsel tunnels. This is the Swiss Gries challenge in a nutshell. One of the company’s toughest projects, working on an operating plant in a 50 km-long tunnel.

    No detail could be left to chance, and to cope with these particular conditions SICIM created tailor-made solutions to ensure that the activities were performed in total safety. Every tiny step was studied and assessed right down to the finest detail. Gries was an operational and technical challenge: in the winter the workers were brought in by helicopter and on internal technical trains. The pipelines were carried up on the cableways, the abundant snowfall making it impossible to bring them up by truck.

    The winter of 2000 was so harsh that SICIM had to help by sending its generators to provide electricity to the whole of the upper Rhône valley.

  • 1998

    Branch opened in

    Kazakhstan

    Bandiera Kazakhstan
  • 1998
    Bandiera Belgio

    Branch opened in

    Belgium

  • 1999

    France

    The first real challenge in France was the Artère des Plateu du Vexin project above Paris. It was 1999, and the company from Busseto, after a number of minor projects carried out in the early 90s, was contracted to lay 82 km of pipes between Cuvilly and Moussy, and thereafter the complex gas pipeline project near Marseilles, on the Manosque-Entrecasteau route.

    This marked the start of SICIM’s consecration in France, where since then it has laid over 800 km of pipelines.

    In France SICIM established the first automatic welding school which in just a few months trained 18 new qualified welders to work on local construction sites.

  • 1999

    Branch opened in

    France

    Bandiera Francia
  • 2000
    Bandiera Emirati Arabi Uniti

    Branch opened in

    United Arab Emirates

  • 2001

    Branch opened in

    Ireland

    Bandiera Irlanda
  • 2003

    Making its mark in Kazakhstan

    Sicim had been working in the country since 1998, but this is the period which definitively consecrated its position in what was to become the company’s most important foreign market. Having completed the development of Karachaganak, Sicim acquired important contracts on the huge new Kashagan Project, covering all the preliminary works to the complete project development. At the same time Sicim was also involved in the extension of the other Kazakh giant, the Tengiz Field, which was enjoying a new phase of development, the Second Generation Project, laying an important export line (120 km and 40” diameter) and various mechanical activities in the plant and on the field.

  • 2004

    Branch opened in

    Libya

    Bandiera Libia
  • 2005

    The first and only Italian 56” pipeline

    After the success of the 48” one, which brought with it a cultural change in pipeline practices, demanding the re-thinking of equipment and logistics, SICIM definitively made its name as leader in the sector, tackling and overcoming the challenge with the 56” pipeline.

    In Italian territory, the company laid the first and only natural gas pipeline with this impressive diameter. The section Camisano Vicentino - Zimella laid on behalf of Snam, runs for 40 km.

    The 56” challenge was repeated in Germany, in the 135 km of OPAL natural gas pipeline running from Lubmin to Olbernhau, one of the most impressive works in the whole country.

  • 2008

    The GPR Fastweld

    Taking its name from the company’s founder (Gian Pietro Riccardi) this automatic welding system was completely designed and built in-house by Sicim to lay pipelines and, one of its kind, plants. The system is the synthesis of the experience gains on the field in the past 20 years and guarantees higher levels of performance and quality in any environmental condition.

  • 2009

    Geographical expansion overseas

    Acquiring large contracts, Sicim inaugurated 9 new branches abroad in 4 years, 7 of which outside of Europe. This was a crucial time in the company’s expansion policy, and in just a short time the company tripled its turnover and took on an increasingly leadership role in the sector, demonstrating its flexibility and organisational and logistics skill.

  • 2009

    Branch opened in

    Republic of the Congo

    Bandiera Repubblica del Congo
  • 2009
    Bandiera Germania

    Branch opened in

    Germany

  • 2009

    Branch opened in

    Mexico

    Bandiera Messico
  • 2011
    Bandiera Regno Unito

    Branch opened in

    United Kingdom

  • 2011

    Branch opened in

    Peru

    Bandiera Perù
  • 2012
    Bandiera Turkmenistan

    Branch opened in

    Turkmenistan

  • 2012

    Branch opened in

    Cameroon

    Bandiera Camerun
  • 2012
    Bandiera Angola

    Branch opened in

    Angola

  • 2012

    Branch opened in

    Iraq

    Bandiera Iraq
  • 2013

    The Tamazunchale

    An EPC project for the construction of a 246 km pipeline (100 km of 30” and 146 km of 36”) to link the existing Naranjos-Tamazunchale line to the El Sauz power plant in Mexico, in just 18 months.

    It is probably the most complex and articulated project ever implemented by Sicim: rock, the digging of a microtunnel, 5 residential camps installed along the route and many special points with gradients of over 45 degrees, tackled using cableways were just some of the difficulties faced.

  • 2014

    Branch opened in

    Turkey

    Bandiera Turchia
  • 2014
    Bandiera Mozambico

    Branch opened in

    Mozambique

  • 2014

    Branch opened in

    Canada

    Bandiera Canada
  • 2015

    The GPL 980 Performer

    This pipe-layer is a revolutionary machine, representing the most innovative and powerful means in the sector. It was designed by an in-house team of engineers and takes its name from the company’s founders, Gian Pietro and Luigi. Weighing 61 tonnes with a lifting capacity of 98 tonnes, its main characteristic is the fact that it can be disassembled into 3 modules extremely quickly and can be transported by container; this solves 3 problems at the same time: it facilitates transport, prevents human error through the use of the most sophisticated safety technologies and eliminates downtimes. This innovation is part of the company’s research and development investments. Its own experts continuously aim to create new functional machines for the sector it works in, or to adapt those already on the market to its own needs, focusing on fundamental aspects including safety, quality and performance.

  • 2017

    The 200th sideboom

    This has always been considered the symbol of pipeline construction and the power needed to handle the pipes. Sicim christened its 200th fully owned sideboom, a GPL 980 Performer, strengthening an already unequalled fleet of vessels and machinery serving the Oil&Gas sector. Over 40 pipe bending machines, 240 paywelders and 60 cranes: these are just some of the means Sicim is able to mobilise for its projects.

  • 2018
    Bandiera Arabia Saudita

    Branch opened in

    Saudi Arabia

  • 2018

    Branch opened in

    Russia

    Bandiera Russia
  • 2018
    Bandiera Uganda

    Branch opened in

    Uganda

  • 2019
    Bandiera Ucraina

    Branch opened in

    Ukraine

  • 2019

    Branch opened in

    Bulgaria

    Bandiera Bulgaria
  • 2019

    Expansion of the Busseto headquarter

    The “Sicim Opening 2019” event was an opportunity to present and inaugurate the new space dedicated to the production and logistics. The headquarters in Busseto have now been expanded with a modern touch to enable the company to open up to the world in an increasingly innovative way. The expansion required three years of work, involving 150 suppliers and employing 100.000 man hours, with the aim of obtaining new work areas with a logistical and technological cutting edge level, but above all a healthier and safer environment where to work with more efficiency. The expansion covers an area of 61.000 square meters, among which stands a new building of 14.000 square meters, which hosts the entire sector related to maintenance and movement of the fleet of vehicles and heavy duty equipment. The headquarters of Busseto can now boast a total area of 108.000 square meters.

  • 2019
    Bandiera Cile

    Branch opened in

    Chile

  • 2019

    Branch opened in

    Czech Republic

    Bandiera Repubblica Ceca
  • 2019

    New office in Milan

    SICIM opens a new office in Milan hosting the Engineering & Procurement department and from which all EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) projects are coordinated. The new center, which covers an area of 3,860 square meters, encloses the know-how of the execution of EPC projects, as well as the integrated management. Design is an essential activity to provide sustainable industrial solutions and models, alongside the procurement of the materials necessary for the realization of the projects.

  • 2023

    Branch opened in

    Guyana

    Bandiera Guyana
  • 2024

    PRESENT

    In 62 years of activity, over 20000 km of gas pipelines have been laid, and over 100 thousand tonnes of plants and steel structures installed. Today SICIM is world leader and the benchmark in the market for the engineering, procurement and construction of pipelines and oil, gas and water processing plants. It has projects running around the world, and has over 11500 employees working in the 26 branches around the world.